How many days of annual paid leave am I entitled to?

What the Law Says

The Labor Standards Act sets the minimum entitlement to paid annual leave for employees in South Korea. The amount depends on length of service and attendance rate.

Under the Labor Standards Act, employees who have worked continuously for at least one year and attended work at least 80% of scheduled working days are entitled to 15 days of paid annual leave per year.

For employees with less than one year of service, leave accrues at a rate of one day per month of employment, up to a maximum of 15 days upon completing one year.

Unused paid annual leave days may be carried over for up to two years, unless otherwise agreed in writing or stipulated in collective agreements.

Employers must grant leave within one year of accrual, and unused days beyond the carryover period expire unless compensation is paid.

Statutory Text

An employer shall grant an employee who has worked continuously for one year and has attended work for at least 80 percent of the scheduled working days, fifteen days of paid annual leave per year.

— Labor Standards Act, s. 60 — Annual Paid Leave

Statutory Text

If an employee has not completed one year of continuous employment, the number of paid annual leave days shall be calculated proportionally at the rate of one day per month of employment.

— Labor Standards Act, s. 60 — Annual Paid Leave

Statutory Text

Unused paid annual leave days may be carried over for a period of two years from the date of accrual, unless otherwise agreed in writing or provided in a collective agreement.

— Enforcement Decree of the Labor Standards Act, Art. 29-2

What to Do

Sources